Page 66 of Black Heart

“Detective?” she said after a slight hesitation, making him realize that he was staring at her.

“Why don’t we speak in my office?” Tristan said, gesturing for her to join him.

With a grateful smile, she did just that. Tristan was just about to close the door when he spotted Marty with a large coffee mug in her hand, heading towards the back rooms. For a moment, he considered letting her go, but then he realized that he needed her, probably more than ever.

“Marty, could you join us?” Tristan asked just as she was about to make her way to the interrogation rooms in the back.

“Of course,” Marty said with a polite smile when she spotted Mrs. Erickson waiting in the doorway. He waited until Marty walked into the room before he closed the door and took a deep breath, praying that he was able to get through this without losing his fucking mind.

“You wanted to speak with me?” Tristan asked as he forced himself to join them.

“Why don’t you tell him what the little bastard did to your arm?” a man wearing an old Red Sox tee-shirt and jeans that he didn’t recognize demanded as he stepped through the wall. Tristan watched as he joined the woman that Tristan would happily walk away from.

“Ever since his father died, Justin has been struggling,” Mrs. Erickson explained as the man that Tristan was assuming was Justin’s father shot the woman a look of disbelief.

“Are you fucking kidding me with this?” Mr. Erickson demanded, leaning down to get in the woman’s face, but, of course, she couldn’t see him. “I’ve been dead for ten goddamn years! And before that, he was a spoiled little brat!”

“Does he have a juvenile record?” Tristan asked, wondering just how far she would go to save her son.

Her husband stood up with a snort of disgust as the woman’s eyes shifted away from him. “Nothing serious,” she mumbled.

“Nothing serious?” the man repeated in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me? He attacked his teacher and set her house on fire!”

Mrs. Erickson licked her lips nervously as she sat forward and sent him an imploring look. “You have to understand. It’s been really hard for Justin. He had a tough childhood.”

“Tough childhood? You do everything for the little bastard!” Mr. Erickson snapped, throwing his hands up in disgust as he walked away and began pacing the room, walking back and forth through the small coffee table.

“Do you have any other children, Mrs. Erickson?” Tristan asked, unable to help himself.

She looked right at him as she said, “No, he’s an only child.”

CHAPTER24

“No, he’s an only child,” Mrs. Erickson answered seconds before Tristan’s jaw clenched tightly shut as the cold expression that Marty was now familiar with took over.

“Is there anything that you’d like to tell me about the charges against your son?” Tristan asked as he leveled a cold look on the woman that was shifting nervously in her chair.

“Just that I know my son didn’t do any of those things that they’re accusing him of. He’s a very good boy,” Mrs. Erickson rushed to explain.

With a sigh, Tristan stood up. “He’s a twenty-year-old man, Mrs. Erickson, and unless you were there, I’m afraid that I can’t help you,” he said, already heading for the door.

“But he doesn’t deserve this!” Mrs. Erickson cried as she got to her feet to follow Tristan.

Tristan simply ignored her and kept walking, but instead of walking towards the holding rooms, he walked towards Hank’s office. Before he reached the door, Hank walked out, frowning when he saw Tristan.

“Is everything okay?” her father asked.

Tristan shook his head, surprising Marty, but he shocked her a second later when he handed the file to Hank. “Have someone else handle this.”

“Why?” Hank asked, but Tristan obviously wasn’t planning on sticking around to explain it to him.

“Read the suspect’s mother’s maiden name,” was all Tristan said before he walked past her, acting as though he didn’t see her.

“Son of a bitch!” she heard her father snap and, as much as she would have loved to ask her father what was going on, she had to deal with another problem.

“Detective, I just need ten minutes of your time,” Mrs. Erickson said, stepping in front of Tristan to stop him from leaving.

“You can’t have it,” Tristan said, moving to step past the woman, but she refused to move out of his way.

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